I’ve been working up to this post for some time now. As an avid (or maybe rabid) Olympics supporter and a general sports enthusiast, I’ve been exceptionally proud of the way Canada has embraced these Olympics and the way our athletes have performed under pressure. I’ve been even more impressed, however, with the way Vancouver has branded itself for these games. Perhaps our success over the past two days (3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) has put a little extra glow in my heart, but I can’t help but tip my hat to those responsible for executing the vision for these Winter Games. At first I was only moderately excited at the Vancouver 2010 brand. I perceived it’s vector illustration style as less-than-original. Seeing it’s full execution, however, I’m extremely appreciative of the attention to detail. Look no further than the green-and-blue coloured houses of the curling rinks, Canada Hockey Place with it’s green and blue painted stairs, or the halfpipe’s green and blue markings. The placement of the cameras has been addressed with extreme attention to detail as well. The gates of the downhill events have been carefully planned for impact with the home audience, likewise with the Bobsled track placement of “Vancouver 2010″ on prominent turns and Canada Hockey Place displaying the Olympic rings on top of the net for the camera to broadcast to the public. On top of this, I’ve found the typography to be excellent as well. The type chosen has been clean and clear, with one of the best examples being the numbers on Speed Skater’s helmets. Here are a few examples of branding done well, courtesy of Boston.com.
I found a link to Pentagram’s type quiz on Design Sponge this morning (while reading her post about Parliament, who we blogged about a few weeks back). The quiz determined that I am Archer Hairline, a charming slab-serif typeface designed by Hoefler & Frere-Jones and Tyler is Architype Van Doesburg, the geometric sans-serif typeface originally designed by Theo Van Doesburg, co-founder of the DeStijl art movement. In my opinion the results were bang on. If you’re looking for something to do, head over and see what type you are. (password: character)
Although I have only used a small Craftsmen table-top letterpress once before, the charm of the letterpress is absolutely irresistible. Repeat Press from Somerville, MA has posted this fantastic little video documenting the production of their custom coasters for the holiday season. Anyone else want a Scotch?
I’ve been really excited about type this year. As my fiance and I move closer towards designing our wedding stationery, I’ve got my peepers open for any and all inspiring type. I’m happy to report that Jessica Hische has posted the initial for our soon-to-be-shared new last name, the letter T! If you haven’t visited Daily Drop Cap, where “each day (or at least each WORK day), a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere”, then you should do so immediately. While you’re at it, check out Woodtyper for more type-goodness.
